John buekhardt



(N0 Model.)

J. BURKHARDT. MECHANISM FOR FORMING ORNAMENTAL SPHEROIDAL AND ANALOGOUS BODIES.

No. 378,417. Patented Feb. 21, 1888.

HI'I IJIHE llNiTEn STATES PATENT Utmost JOHN BURKHARDT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No 378,417, dated February 21, 1888.

Application filed January 3, 1887. Renewed Novrniber Q1, 1857. Serial No. 255,786. (No model.)

To @221 whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN BURKHARDT, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Mechanism for Forming and Embellishing Orna mental Spheroidal and Analogous Bodies from Metal Tubing or Sheet Metal, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

The nature of my invention consists in certain novel mechanism by which,through the use of a press, tubing can be formed into spherical, oval, conical, and other analogous bodies, and which is adapted for embellishing the same; and the object of thciuvention is to furnish knobs, balls, cones, and other ornamental adornments and useful appurtenances for balusters, railings, trellises, chandeliers, and numerous other kinds of artistic work, as hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a piece of tubing or roll of sheet metal standing vertically in a die in position to receive a counterdie actuated by compressing machinery and of dimensions suitable to form aball orglobe; and Fig. 2 represents a sectional view of apair of dies used for the purpose. Fig.3 represents a metal spheroidal body finished and embel= lished as a product of my invention. Fig. 4 represents a vertical central section of a pair of dies such as are used for shaping a body which would represent an acorn. Fig. 5 represents a netting oi" fine elastic steel wire or other hard material of oval shape to be used as a jacket to be placed over or around the ornamental body alter it is formed, to imprint upon its surface the design or figure which the thin elastic jacket is formed to represent, and which surface embellishment will be conferred by a subsequent operation of the dies and press employed in forming such body. Fig. 4 also represents in vertical section a pair of dies differing in respect to each other, the inner surface of the lower one being spirally grooved or ribbed to embellish an ornamental body with the counterpart of the figure shown in said dies.

Embellishments of these bodies may be of various designs, imparted to them by direct action and contact of the dies when the design formed within the dies consists of tint-lugs, ribs,

or by giving to the dies a partial revolution during the operation of the press when theinner configuration ot' the dies consists ofspiral ribs orgrooves. Thespiral movement for producing the spiral impression upon the article may be obtained by the use ofspirally-formed grooves made in the peripheries of the dies a a, with fixed teeth attached to the frame of the press, which teeth will traverse said grooves during the action of the press, the dies being jonrnaled, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 6, to allow them to revolve upon their seats. Other mechanism is shown in 6 for the same purpose, consisting of lip or stud g on the outside of die a, against which the rigid curved arm h, secured to the counter-die a, will work during the approaching movement of the dies, which mechanism will cause a partial or half rotation or revolution to be given to the dies, and thereby the spiral figure or threads of the dies will be made upon the spheroidal body and embellish its surface, and a reverse configuration of the concavity of the die or dies will form reverse spiral lines or grooves upon the article by the substitution of acurvedarm, like h, curved in an opposite directiomwhere by the checkered surface embellishment, similar to that shown in Figs. 3 and 5, will be produced upon the softer metal of which such ornamental bodies are made.

Three operations of the press will be nec essary to form the body and to impress the two designs or figures thereon.

The pair of dies a a (shown in Fig. 6) are shown as occupying their respective positions in relation to the plungerrrand seat 3; ofa press.

Fig. 7 represents another form or design in a jacket formed of thin elastic skeleton leaves with'stamens in relief. Designs of this kind may be so formed as to represent and imprint the figures of numerous objects upon the surfaces of the difierent produetsas the form of fruits, nuts, bulbs, and the like-for the adornment of articles of manufacture. The several divisions or parts of jackets, like that shown in Fig. 7, may be fastened together at the top and secured in proper relation to each other at the bottom by an elastic thread, as shown at J in said figure.

It should be observed that stops attached to or scallops running longitudinally therewith,

date herewith of the mechanism forming the.

subject-matter of this application maybe referred to as auxiliary to this, the claimin said tease being for an improved article of manufacure.

Although the pressure used while the piece of tubing is being formed to assume the shape mentioned is exerted directly upon the upper die, the lower one will by virtue of such pressure gradually receive its end of the piece of tub] ng, turning its meta-l inwardly, as does the upper die, and thus the article is completed. Globular and other forms of bodies, after being formed and before ornamenting, may be filled with rosin or plaster preparatory to the embellishing, and this will prevent disfiguration of said bodies while undergoing the second and third compressing action of the press necessary to imprint successively two designs thereon; and when such bodies are intended for use as centers or as couplings in brackets or chandeliers and the like short couplingpipes, elbows, or T-shaped tubular joint-pieces may be placed within the sections of tubes, like m,Fi g. 1, before the operation of the dies begins to reduce such tube to the spheroidal shape.

It will be seen that any ornament or useful device maybe readilysecured in the open ends of the articles formed, as specified.

It is apparent that by the use of the mechanism described rotarymovementmaybegiven to the dies while forming these various circular bodies with outer smooth surfaces; and this I deem of importance to facilitate working upon dense and refractory metals. It is also apparent that rectangular tubing may be reduced in the same manner by modified dies, rectangular in crosssectiomand having convergent interior facesgvithout departing from the main scope and principle of my invention.

Having fully described myinvention, Iclairn as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. Dies of spiral interior configuration, in combination with the mechanism shown at g h, or its equivalent, for causing circular movement of the dies, for the purpose specified.

2. Flexible metal jacket-s, as described and shown in Figs. 5 and 7, embodying designs in relief, in combination with hollow dies for em bellishing the variously-shaped ornamental bodies, substantially as described.

JOHN BURKHARD'I. 

